Australian news and politics live: Burke cancels visa of Israeli MP over fears of ‘hate and division’

Australians fear Donald Trump’s tariffs more than China’s military build-up, according to a major poll.

The US president has mulled whether to slap further levies on sectors that would hit Australian producers hard, such as 250 per cent rates on pharmaceuticals.

While Australia managed to dodge a higher baseline rate earlier this month, exports to the US are still subject to a blanket 10 per cent impost.

Some exports, including steel, aluminium and copper, are hit with separate 50 per cent duties.

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Australia’s workplace ombudsman will be asked to support the right of employees working from home but Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has cautioned Australian remote workers.

The Australian Services Union says it will lodge a submission with the Fair Work Commission to support working from home, where it’s possible to do so.

“Working from home is now a permanent feature of the modern Australian workplace, and our submission will make it clear that the location of work does not diminish its value,” union secretary Emeline Gaske said on Monday.

But federal Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said workers needed to be careful because jobs that can be done from home could be automated by artificial intelligence tools.

“If your job is a keyboard, yourself and a computer, it’s not a myth, AI is coming,” he told Seven’s Sunrise program.

“I’d be doing everything in your power to try and keep your jobs because if people can prove they don’t need to come to the office then the office can prove that they can be replaced by AI.”

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia remains committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty and peace, amid ongoing international efforts to find a resolution to the conflict.

This comes shortly after the recent high-profile meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which focused on the Russia-Ukraine war but ended without a formal agreement.

“Overnight, I joined a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing convened by Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, alongside President Zelensky, other democratic leaders,” Mr Albanese posted on X.

“Australia remains committed to supporting Ukraine and it was an opportunity to discuss next steps in achieving a just and enduring peace.”

On calls to phase out stamp duty ahead of tomorrow’s economic roundtable, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has not ruled out chages but emphasised the tax is state and territory funding.

“Stamp duty is a State and Territory tax. There is a session on over the course of the next three days. We will see what comes up through that,” she told Sunrise.

“When I was chief minister stamp duty in the a tax that State and Territory governments rely on that fund to schools and hospitals. This is one of those discussions around tax, is, you know... It’s easy for some to say ‘get rid of that tax’, harder for others.

“That’s roundtable try to get people together and see if there is an area of consensus.”

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has reiterated the government’s stance on the four-day work week, emphasising flexibility over a fixed reduction in work hours.

The government’s economic reform roundtable, starting tomorrow, will bring together political leaders, union heads, and industry representatives to discuss key topics like tax reform, AI, and workplace changes.

“As the PM and treasurer said last week we have no plans to look four-day week,” she told Sunrise on Monday morning.

“Certainly we support working with unions and others about how to make sure workers have the right flexibility to juggle all the different and competing priorities in their lives and, you know, work-from-home is part of that, how you work your hours are part of that. There’s no plans for a four-day week.”

European leaders said Sunday that they would join President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine when he meets with President Donald Trump on Monday at the White House, as they strive to show solidarity against Russia and avoid being sidelined in peace talks.

“Our goal tomorrow is to present a united front between Europeans and Ukrainians,” President Emmanuel Macron of France told reporters.

“I don’t believe Putin wants peace. I believe he wants Ukraine’s capitulation.”

Mr Macron will be one of at least six European leaders — including Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain and President Alexander Stubb of Finland, two of Mr Trump’s favoured counterparts — travelling to Washington.

The trip highlights the continent’s effort to smooth relations between Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky, whose last White House meeting in February descended into a public clash.

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The percentage of voters happy with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s performance outnumbers those dissatisfied for the first time in two years, a new poll shows.

The Newspoll, published in The Australian on Monday, indicates Mr Albanese’s federal Labor party retains a solid two-party-preferred lead over the coalition at 56 per cent to 44 per cent.

The previous Newspoll, taken in July, had Labor ahead by 57 per cent to 43 per cent.

The latest survey said Labor’s primary vote was unchanged at 36 per cent while the coalition’s support rose one percentage point to 30 per cent.

The Greens were steady on 12 per cent, One Nation was up one point to nine per cent and backing for the independents and minor parties category dipped two points to 13 per cent.

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Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has called for a responsible uptake of artificial intelligence that can realise the economic upsides without causing mass job losses, mirroring remarks from Treasurer Jim Chalmers ahead of this week’s economic reform roundtable, starting Tuesday.

Ms Plibersek said it would be essential for new jobs to be created following the uptake of the emerging technology.

“A lot of ... the repetitive work will be done by AI in the future and what we need to do is make sure there are good jobs available for Australians in new and emerging industries,” she told Sunrise on Monday morning.

“We’ve got real capacity to develop some of those AI tools right here.”